


De vita Snowum

by ForFutureReference



Series: A History of Panem [2]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Pre-Hunger Games
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2015-08-03
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:26:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 17,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForFutureReference/pseuds/ForFutureReference
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or: "About the Life of the Snows". The history of Panem, from its foundation to the Mockingjay Rebellion, as observed through the biographies of the diverse set of individuals who took upon the mantle of "President Snow". Can be read as a standalone unofficial supplemental guide or as a "sequel" to 'Seeds of Panem'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

**De vita Snowum**

**Dr. Suetonius Shinehawk**

* * *

President Snow. These two words have been a fixture of Panem ever since its foundation over two centuries ago. They have also changed meaning over time. In the early years of this nation, they were synonymous with benevolence, progress, and strength. Now, they conjure images of tyranny, decadence, and starvation. How, when, and why has that meaning changed? That is what I set out to find.

This book had been a project of mine over a decade in the making. It required the examination multiple sources of both primary and secondary levels, with many of them containing bias and occasionally completely conflicting accounts. Truths had to be separated from embellishments and falsehoods. It was also not uncommon for sources to be scattered across the nation. Sometimes, entire periods of history would appear be missing due to lack of accounts, which would require the utilization of more unorthodox sources.

For obvious reasons, I was not able to publish it during the reign of Coriolanus Snow. Also due to the highlighting of positive contributions from several of the Snows, it would have likely not been able to see publication during the reign of Alma Coin. Now, however, the Paylor administration gave me the opportunity to send this into circulation, without the restricting dash of the censor's brush.

The biographies here will chronicle every single Snow in the history of this nation, from its foundation to the Mockingjay Rebellion. It will showcase the diversity of leaders: from the visionary Romulus, to the debauched Gallienus, to the calculating Coriolanus. It will examine how they contributed to the various eras that constituted this nation's history: the Golden Age, the Dynastic Period, the Dark Days, and the Hunger Games.

It is with great hope that I release this book. Not simply so that people will be able to know what happened in the past. But also so that lessons will be learned for the future.

—SS

* * *

© 202 Panem University Publishing / Capitol

Panem Archival Society

101 Foundation Boulevard, Palatine, Capitol District 00-000, Panem


	2. The Founder

**Romulus Snow**

If there is one place to start, it would be best to begin with the very person who brought Panem into being and was responsible for ushering in its Golden Age.

 **Former Name:** Joseph Vega

 **Reign:**  March 20, 0 AF–September 22, 5 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 7, 57 BP–April 29, 19 AF

**Personality**

The best way Romulus has been describe was "aloof and prickly". Despite his visionary nature, he was not sociable but preferred to work in the background to the point of not minding if others took credit. He was simply satisfied with goal completion. Otherwise, he was known to be impatient, distrustful, and high-strung. This aloofness carried on to his public speaking skills, where he was often stilted and laconic. Most of the time, he relied on spokespersons.

What made up for it was his focused work ethic and organizational skills, notably the ability to delegate tasks. This would serve him well when building a nation from the ground up. His scholarly nature also helped him utilize historical substance as help in that nation-building.

Also, despite his normally frigid personality, he tended to be very good with children. Even during his presidency, it was not uncommon for him to visit hospitals and schools while bearing gifts. It had been said that he enjoyed the company of children as they have not yet been exposed to the harsh realities of the world. Another theory was that it was to compensate for his own sterility. The truth is likely a mixture of the two.

**Early Life**

Romulus Snow was born Joseph Vega in May 7, 57 BP, or 2292 CE as it was known at the time, in Foundation City: location of the main headquarters of the Society for the Preservation of Civilization. The Society was an organization founded by his ancestor, Dr. Carl Vega, in the hopes of having a safeguard in the event of a civilization-breaking catastrophe. The Society went into action a decade before the Great Cataclysm struck in the middle of the third century BP. The Society's main facility and its thirteen subsidiaries weathered not only that but the Long Winter, a temporary ice age that gripped the region. Through this period, the facilities folding into various factions that rose during that period of time; however this folding ensured contact with Facility-Zero.

By the time control of the Society passed to Joseph in 34 BP, the ice age had already receded, and there were established expeditions undertaken to keep in contact with survivors, begin the rebuilding process, and negotiate terms with the remnants of various governments that rose and fell during the Long Winter. Also by that time, Foundation City was a thriving and populous community despite its northerly location.

For areas that couldn't be negotiated nor were already part of another nation, there was a campaign to "reclaim the land". Factions that did not surrender were eliminated, many times with the help of other factions. This campaign was done in conjunction with the construction, maintenance, or restoration of transportation lines between communities, as well as the integration of inhabitants. Heavy weaponry from both facilities and remnants of preceding nations ensured rapid success of the campaign.

In 20 BP, Joseph changed his name to Romulus, the namesake of which was supposedly the founder of Rome, a city which became a multi-continent spanning empire in antiquity. At the same time, Foundation City would be renamed "Palatine" after the hill that Rome was founded upon.

**The Foundation of a Nation**

By the tenth year BP, all of the factions under the Foundation's umbrella cooperated in a cohesive enough manner that there was talk about finally forming a nation out of the coalition. Romulus would be the first leader of that nation as president.

After much work, in 0 BP, that dream became a reality and Panem was born, with Palatine as the capital city. The name "Panem" was chosen due to the influence of the Society's motto "Panis pro Cras", which translated to "Bread for the Future". Romulus' thought was that the name itself should bring a promise of hope and prosperity. In the process, the nation was divided into thirteen districts plus the Capitol District that surrounds Palatine. District naming and placement was determined by the sphere of influence of the facilities, with non-incorporated land claimed for future expansion. 

Romulus himself changed his last name to "Snow" in acknowledgement of the Long Winter. He also mandated that the every future ruler forsake their familial name and replace it with that title, for both legacy and to eliminate "burdensome ties" to their previous life.

Romulus ruled for over five years before voluntarily abdicating in September 22nd, 5 AF. He appointed his trusted commander, Daniel Thomas, to be the next president.

**The Stele**

The year that Panem was formally established, Romulus had a large stele created out of granite to serve as a reminder of his vision for the future. Upon it is inscribed as such:

…

_In the year of 2264 CE, I hereby establish the laws and customs that shall serve as a cornerstone of this new nation._

_1: The nation shall be known as_ _Panem_ _, for the promise of plenty and prosperity._

_2: Thirteen districts, plus one capital district, shall constitute the nation._

_3: National and district boundaries shall be settled by the end of the tenth year after the nation's foundation._

_4: The nation shall be run by a representative senate and an executive president._

_5: Every president shall replace their surname with_ _Snow_ _, in the memory of famine and calamity._

_6: Until the country is shown to be stable and free from constant threat, the president shall choose the next successor._

_7: Presidents shall carry implied and reserved powers, especially in times of emergency._

_8: The president shall rule with a fair and just hand, with any abuse of power running the risk of deposition by a senatorial three-quarters vote._

_9: Districts shall be capable of self-governance, so long as district mandates do not conflict with national mandates or national cohesion._

_10: Every district shall have its own militia force for security purposes, as well as to be called upon in times of conflict._

_May these ten sacred laws guide the healthy development of Panem into a great civilization._

_Romulus Snow_

…

It is a foregone conclusion that not every principle would survive by the time of the Mockingjay Rebellion. The stele itself was lost during the Dark Days, with no person knowing of its fate until its recovery from a stream in 197 AF. As of 206 AF, it has not yet been released to be viewed by the public.

**Later Life and Death**

After his abdication, Romulus pursued a life of quiet, living in a house on the outskirts of Palatine. Despite his natural introverted nature, he would sit on his porch everyday and greet the neighbors' kids, often leaving snacks and telling them tales of the period before the nation. However, he refused to get involved in politics, even if only in an advisory role.

In April 29, 19 AF, workers found him in his bedroom, dead of natural causes. As per his instructions, his body was cremated and his ashes distributed evenly to be scattered in each district.

His reign, and that of his next few successors, would be looked upon favorably by both district resident and Capitolite alike to this present day.


	3. The Defender

**Augustus Snow**

While Romulus Snow was responsible for the formation of Panem, it was his successor Augustus who codified it into a legitimate national power.

 **Former Name:** Daniel Thompson

 **Reign:**  September 23, 5 AF–September 22, 14 AF

 **Birth/Death:** August 8, 32 BP–January 13, 15 AF

**Personality**

In many ways, Augustus was the opposite of Romulus. While Romulus was cold, aloof, and standoffish, Augustus was warm, personable, and charismatic. He was also notorious for being a complete womanizer; it has been joked that a tenth of the Capitol's residents could have their lineage traced back to him.

That being said, he was a brilliant tactician and strategist. While he did not share the visionary nature of his predecessor, he had an analytical mind, with a pragmatic streak, that was capable of examining a situation and finding the most pragmatic solution to it. This would serve him well when it came to proving Panem's sovereignty in the face of other powers.

**Early Life**

Like his predecessor, Daniel Thompson was groomed at an early age to serve a function for the Society. In his case, it was for security. By 6 BP, he was the commanding head of security under Joseph Vega. This would continue when Panem was established and Joseph Vega became Romulus Snow. He was also known to be a close friend and confidant of the president. When Romulus abdicated, the reins of power were transferred over. Daniel would change his name to Augustus, in honor of the first emperor of the Roman Empire.

**Staking a Claim**

When he took power, Augustus faced a serious issue: how was this new nation to be able to keep functioning? Already several years into his reign, the many different districts were beginning to squabble with one another. This was something that was going to not only affect the cohesiveness of the nation, but also show weakness in the face of potentially hostile existing nations that may have land claims.

Panem had three immediate neighbors: the Confederated States of the Caribbean, the United Tribal Consortium of the Northwestern Pacific Coast, and the Mesoamerican Empire.

Both the Confederacy and Consortium, the latter known as Haida Gwaii, were more focused on serving as waylay points for trade than expanding, and they were naval instead of land powers. In any case, Augustus would give the Confederacy free reign to claim the southern portion of what used to be Florida, and Haida Gwaii was free to claim all of what used to be Alaska and much of coastal British Columbia. Thus, both nations were easily negotiated with, which would set a positive precedent for their relationship with Panem.

Mesoamerica was a different story. It was formed after the mass influx of over 100 million migrants from the ruins of the United American Federation into Mexico and Central America. However, to call it an empire would be an exercise in generosity. Despite the presence of an emperor as head of state over a sizable territory, the position was merely symbolic in practice. The result of such a massive and rapid influx resulted in haphazard development, food shortages, ecological issues, widespread corruption, and sectarian violence; occasionally the violence would escalate to ethnic cleansing. The result of that was a near-feudalistic society, with much of Mesoamerica divided amongst warlords that paid only a cursory regard towards the emperor.

While it had previously waged war with various short-lived states that grew and collapsed in what is now Panem proper, Mesoamerica was too embroiled in civil war to concern itself that this new entity forming to the north. However, in 9 AF, Emperor Aurelian II did take note and decided to invade the fledgling state. This would serve several purposes: removing a rival before it became too powerful, opening-up land for colonization and relieving of population stresses, and serving as rally point to finally unite the various factions.

However, Augustus anticipated potential hostilities in light of the general tone of negotiation with the Empire.

**The Autumn War**

Mesoamerican forces began mobilizing south of the Southern River, previously known as the Rio Grande, in September of 9 AF. The plan was to concentrate the forces do a sudden and rapid push into the interior of Panem, which should cause the nation to easily fold. What the Imperial forces did not anticipate were several factors in the new nation:

Firstly: a high proportion of Panem's citizens had varying degrees of military and survival training to help deal with rebuilding in the wilderness. Secondly: a good proportion of the citizenry also were skilled in various engineering disciplines. Thirdly: Panem's military equipment, which by then included refurbished nuclear weapons, was better maintained and updated than that of the Empire. Lastly: for Panem, this was a defensive war, which meant that they were more motivated to meet the aggressors.

When the Mesoamerican forces met at the river, they were surprised to see that there were no forces to confront them. In fact, they were allowed to cross the river and proceed 100 kilometers into District Ten. However, once at that point, thermobaric bombs were launched en-masse at the Imperials, with the first targets being the makeshift bridges utilized for crossing the river. The tactic of concentrating the forces would prove to be their downfall as it resulted in more casualties from the bombs at once. Soon the Mesoamericans were thrown into disarray which allowed for the second phase of Augustus' plan: hit-and-run tactics.

Due to the fact of growing up in the wilderness, the citizens of Panem were familiar with the terrain. And they were more eager to fight than the conscripted army they were up against. While not resulting in the casualty numbers that typified the bombings, the fast strikes and myriad traps set against the Mesoamerican forces proved to have a demoralizing effect. These issues were compounded when some forces attempted passage through the mountains, where ambush parties waited.

The third and hopefully last tactic was intimidation. To show the capabilities of Panem's reach, more thermobaric bombs were launched at air fields deep within Mesoamerican territory. This would not only take out tactically-important locations, but would also demoralize the populace. Augustus immediately backed that up with the announcement of operational nuclear weapons within possession.

Due to the tide of popular appeal turning against him, Aurelian was forced to sign an armistice with Panem. The area south of the river would become a heavily-mined demilitarized zone.

The war was over within less than two weeks.

**Aftermath**

The defeat was humiliating for Mesoamerica. Not only were the forces so easily repelled in such short of time; it was a conflict between an established power, with over 300 million inhabitants, and an infant nation with barely 6 million people scattered throughout. Aurelian was deposed and dragged through the streets of the capital city, while the Empire fell into a succession war. Despite the armistice, relations between Mesoamerica and Panem would remain frigid to the present day.

In contrast, Panem's victory over an established and numerically superior power not only boosted morale, but helped unify the various districts. The war also showed other nations that Panem was capable of standing on its own. Augustus would preside over a continually-successful nation-building process, though he would establish a period of isolation. He was also responsible for shifting the year setting from BCE/CE (Before Common Era; Common Era) to BP/AP (Before Panem; After Foundation), with the foundation of the nation considered to be Year Zero.

Finally in September 22, 14 AF, he would step down and appoint his Secretary of Interior, Tamara Phillips, as his successor.

**Later Life and Death**

Augustus did not live long past his abdication. In January 09, 15 AF, he had a stroke while entertaining guests. He would pass away four days later at the age of 46. It was said that the stress of the position contributed to his health problems.

However, the measures he took would ensure enough stability for his successors to solidify and build-upon for the next several decades.


	4. The Delegator

**Claudia Snow**

When people think of a district, they think of the industry associated with it. The credit for that goes to Claudia Snow.

 **Former Name:** Tamara Phillips

 **Reign:**  September 23, 14 AF–September 22, 27 AF

 **Birth/Death:** April 20, 21 BP–July 7, 48 AF

**Personality**

Like Romulus, Claudia had a very no-nonsense personality, with little warmth towards those she interacted with. This was to the point that she was considered to be almost emotionless. If anything, she took the frigidity to the next level by refusing to do speeches or public appearances other than formal events; this was likely a factor in her continuation of Panem's isolationist policies. She would sometimes be known as the "Hermit President". The only time she displayed any sort of emotion was when she was with her wife, Alicia, as well as her adopted children.

Also like Romulus though, her ability to delegate and organize was second to no one. Despite her inapproachability, the programs she set up, as well as her professional trips to the districts, do suggest that she cared for the well-being of her citizens. And when she did have to interact with others, her pragmatism ended up assisting her in negotiation proceedings.

**Early Life**

Unlike her predecessors, Tamara Phillips was not from Foundation City but rather an established family in Sector Six. The family assisted in the administration of the town around the facility, and Tamara would become a supply manager for the district. This caught the eye of President Augustus during one of his regional trips. He appointed her as his Secretary of Interior in 8 AP. Despite the lack of a military background, she proved invaluable during the Autumn War due to her ability organize supply chains for Panem's troops and pinpoint weaknesses in enemy logistics. This last act likely was what proved her worthy to be Augustus' successor in 14 AP. She chose the name Claudia as a feminized version of Claudius, who was an emperor also known for his administrative skills.

**The Assignments**

While the Autumn War helped unite the nation and boost morale, it was clear that the good feelings and signs of cooperation could not last forever without something being done. The largest problem was that districts accused each other of failing to pull their weight for the good of the nation. To head off the coming conflict, Claudia had solution: division of labor.

It was clear that respective districts had certain advantages regarding industry. So each district was assigned certain foci based either on resources, established precedent, or geography. 

Besides the assigned industries, the districts were allowed to have additional industries or agriculture on the side to sustain themselves; they were even allowed to sell their products at competitive rates. Migration was allowed between the districts to ensure full employment, as well as to fill the comparatively-depopulated north. However in most cases, people tended to stay within their own districts to learn the trade.

While prices of goods were negotiated by the districts, distribution measures were handled in Palatine to ensure that each district's demands were met. These were handled by a panel of district representatives, as well as a Head Overseer.

The division of labor was actually successful towards resolving the majority of interdistrict disputes, and it ushered in a period of stability and growth that would be in place when Claudia stepped down and appointed her Secretary of State to take her place.

**Later Life and Death**

Claudia had no interest in retiring towards complacency. After her stint, she became Head Overseer in 29 AF, helping make sure that all distribution agreements ended on the most effective and advantageous outcome to all parties involved.

She finally retired in 45 AP and passed away on July 7, 48 AP.


	5. The Diplomat

**Cyrus Snow**

Every golden age has its apex. Cyrus Snow was responsible for not only creating but maintaining it for the majority of his reign.

**Former Name:** Ryan Anders

**Reign:**  September 23, 27 AF–September 22, 58 AF

**Birth/Death:** February 2, 21 BP–October 18, 60 AF

**Personality**

Cyrus was known to be extremely amicable. His warm demeanor was said to put most people he met at ease. He was also a strong believer in patronage; that it was up to those most fortunate to help uplift the rest of the populace.

Despite his outgoing nature, he was not known to have a love life, with his relationship to his wife passionless and long-distance despite their amicability and mutual care for their son and grandchildren.

**Early Life**

Even after its facility was annexed, the Society maintained its presence in the Keystone Republic and advised the nation's entry into Panem as District Two. Ryan Anders was the son of the last facility head, which ensured a political marriage into the court of Summit Hall. 

During Claudia's reign, Anders facilitated smooth relations between District Two and other districts. That did not go unnoticed, and he was appointed the position of Secretary of State. Later he would be appointed as president.

In a break from the norm, he took up the name Cyrus, after a past Persian king known for not only ruling over significant territory but also codifying civil rights under his rule. By this time, people in Palatine were beginning to name their children after figures of antiquity; most of them of Greco-Roman persuasion.

**Opening-up the Gates**

One of the first things Cyrus was interested in doing was furthering open relations with the other world powers and ending the period of isolation. He was confident that by this time, Panem was ready to step onto the global stage. Also, there were goods beyond Panem's borders that were otherwise unavailable. For the nation to grow, it would have to be able to trade.

However, Cyrus was pragmatic in that Panem should not simply allow nations of the world to walk all over it. So he first contacted his neighbors.

To his lack of surprise, Mesoamerica refused to recognize any overtures. In contrast, Haida Gwaii and the Caribbean Confederacy were receptive and agreed to a proposal that would allow them to function as Panem's intermediaries with other nations.

The advantage for the two neighbors was that serving as middle men not only earned them increased traffic but also resulted them in getting larger portions of resources from Panem that they were otherwise lacking. The advantage for Panem was that it now not only had resources otherwise unavailable such as coffee, chocolate, and vanilla, but also opened the floor for contact and dialogue with other nations from around the world. The trade also resulted in increased production in the districts, causing a boost in the economy.

**A Hands-off Approach**

Confident that the nation no longer needed an autocrat in charge, Cyrus allowed the Senate to take charge of the nation. That ensured that the will of the people was best represented and implemented. He would occasionally step in when a dispute arose, but he was more or less a figurehead.

This hand-off nature did not mean that he was complacent however. If anything, not directly running the nation ensured that he could focus on projects throughout it. He encouraged each district to find something that they could feel pride in, whether it be the assigned industry or some feature in the land. Also encouraged was the overhaul of infrastructure, such as converting the fragmented rail lines into high-speed transportation corridors. He also, helped oversee the restoration of many monuments from before Panem's foundation to increase pride and aesthetics throughout the nation.

All of his measures ensured that not only would there be healthy growth of Panem but also goodwill from the districts towards the capital city.

Cyrus finally stepped down in 58 AF, citing old age and bad health. He assigned his Secretary of Finance to continue on as president.

**Later Life and Death**

Cyrus' health deteriorated rapidly after the abdication and he passed away in October 18, 60 AF. He requested that the same practice done after Romulus' death would be done for him.


	6. The Executive

**Valerian Snow**

Despite the four years of his reign being generally considered uneventful, Valerian Snow managed to do two things: bring an end to the Golden Age and begin the Dynastic Age.

**Former Name:** Zachary Williams

**Reign:**  September 23, 58 AF–September 22, 62 AF

**Birth/Death:** December 13, 16 AF–September 25, 62 AF

**Personality**

Valerian, in general, was a secretive and distrustful individual. He had a firm belief that if one was capable of doing something, then one should not rely on the support of others to see it through, and any asset in possession should be guarded vigilantly. His distrust translated to the way he appeared in public, which was not at all. He was also a firm believer in the concept of family, believing such relationship to be the only unbreakable one.

**Early Life**

Zachary Williams was the first prospective president to be born after Panem's foundation. He was the general manager for his family's company, Williams United Banks and Trading, and later became a professor of economics at University of Panem. Due to his skills, he was appointed Secretary of Finance in by President Cyrus in 43 AF. In 58 AF, he was appointed the presidency and became known as Valerian.

**Changes**

The period of prosperity did not last long after Cyrus' abdication. Soon, squabbling resumed between the districts over the allocation of resources. Many even accused others of bribing the Head Overseer for a favorable portion of allotments.

Before tensions could reach a boiling point, Valerian decided to utilize reserved powers. He took complete control of the Department of Allocation, putting full power under the purview of the Head Overseer and making that position directly answerable to the Office of the President.

Around the same time of the take-over, Valerian's already distrustful nature gained a new dimension with his view of his own cabinet, considering all not within his close circle of associates (ie, his family) to be completely corrupt or inept. His suddenly-failing health caused greater suspicion to arise. In 62 AF, he abdicated and chose his older brother, Michael, to be his successor.

Three days later, he would be killed by a bomb planted in his car.

 


	7. The Overseer

**Constantius Snow**

Like Valerian, Contantius' reign was relatively short. However, he would also set the course for the next several decades in Panem by codifying the Dynastic Age, as well as expanding power over the districts.

**Former Name:**  Micheal Williams

**Reign:**  September 23, 62 AF–March 8, 70 AF

**Birth/Death:** February 5, 7 AF–March 8, 70 AF

**Personality**

Constantius was a sickly person, wracked with severe asthma and polio; while able to walk, he spent most of his life in a wheelchair or bedridden. However, besides the health-related issues, he was extremely confidant and capable of functioning in society. It was said that he compensated for his condition by knowing how to delegate tasks to people physically-stronger than himself and ensuring the tasks get done by employing redundant oversight.

While he was not distrustful of others like his brother, Valerian, he still placed a high value in family.

**Early Life**

Michael also served in the family business. He became WUBT's head of security, not only being in charge of security operations in the headquarters of the company, but of all operations in the company's branches and subsidiaries. The security program would later be expanded by him into its own standalone company known as PanSec, which was a private contractor firm and a surveillance developer.

With Valerian's ascent into power, William was appointed as Secretary of Security. He would later become President Constantius Snow several days before his brother's death.

**Investigations**

After the assassination, Constantius put a considerable amount of resources in finding the perpetrators of the attack. He ended up using his connection with PanSec in expediting the process. It turned out that the assassination was a revenge attack funded by disgruntled district governmental officials. This was soon connected towards a greater conspiracy involving several districts wanting to have greater amount of power relative to the federal government and other districts. The deteriorating health of Valerian was tied to this. After the confessions, the convicted conspirators were executed in public via firing squad.

However, Constantius was not satisfied with the result. He believed that there had to be a stronger security presence to prevent such incidents from occurring again. He took the template of his previous company to develop a new security force: the Praetorian Guard. They were a highly-trained specialized force directly answerable to the president and in charge of guarding governmental facilities and officials, as well as the capital city. Besides deference to the president, they did have a great deal of autonomy. People from various districts were allowed to join, but the selection and training process was stringent.

Besides the Guard, there was also a mandate put into effect to increase surveillance throughout the nation. In every major community, video and audio surveillance systems were installed na comprehensive manner. Also, all communications lines were capable of being monitored. This was all done in conjunction with an overhaul of the communications systems.

**Death and Passing the Mantle**

Constantius died in March 8, 70 AF of respiratory failure. He would be the first president to die while still in office. However, several months beforehand, he found himself unable to lead to full capacity. So he had his daughter, Artemisia, assist him; this served the dual function of grooming her for to take his place, which she did after his death.

Thus had the position of President of Panem become hereditary.

 


	8. The Builder

**Artemisia Snow**

The legacy brought by Artemisia Snow hasn't just been in the field of politics or continuing the family dynasty. It has been in the various projects she has over saw, not least being the Capitol.

 **Former Name:**  Artemisia Williams

 **Reign:**  March 9, 70 AF–July 3, 92 AF

 **Birth/Death:** June 24, 31 AF–July 3, 92 AF

**Personality**

Like the rest of her family, Artemisia was fairly insular and distrustful. However that evolved into full-blown paranoia when her uncle was assassinated. Even before she ascended to power, she had an overriding belief that there were enemies, foreign and domestic, everywhere that either wished to undermine the state or kill members of her family. Because of this, she rarely ventured out of her home and, instead, had vetted personnel carry out errands for her. The result of her isolation caused her to be nicknamed "Snow White", after the literary character, due to her exceedingly pale complexion.

At the same time, she had a very analytical and creative mind. This made her very successful in her pre-presidential vocation, and would later help her in realizing future plans for Panem.

**Early Life**

Unlike the rest of the Williams, Artemisia had no interest in joining the family business. Instead, she studied to be a civil engineer. She mostly focused on infrastructural projects throughout the country, many of them headed by Cyrus in his later years.

After the assassination of Valerian, she would move in with her father for greater protection, though she continued with her career from the seclusion of the mansion. At the later months of Constantius' life, he taught her the intricacies of the nations and its politics. In 70 AF, she would ascend to power as the next president.

**Securing the Nation**

Under the belief that there must be increased oversight for the nation to remain stable, the new president increased security measures throughout the country. Every public location and every transportation route would have extensive surveillance installed. Also, any person traveling between districts would have to produce documents so that background checks could be made.

Later on, Artemisia would begin to distrust religious institutions, believing them to be subversive to the integrity of the state. While she did not outlaw religion, she cut diplomatic ties with the Papal States, Caliphate, and Mauryan Kingdom. She also expelled any existing missionaries and prohibited access to any more from other nations, under the threat of embargo should a nation allow a missionary to arrive into Panem.

**Moving the Capital City**

Artemisia's paranoia went to the point that she believed that the capital city itself was not secure enough. However, instead of simply fortifying it, she decided to move it to a different location. The new city would be located around fifty miles to the southwest in an area previously known as Kinbasket Lake. There, the mountains would provide a natural fortification. At the time, the dam for the reservoir had degraded, making it go down back to its previous level. Artemisia decided to rebuild the dam and construct the city on top of the reservoir itself. This not only would help the city have a consistent supply of water but also add additional defenses to the north and south.

The specific location chosen for the city was a spot nearest to the dam, where various waterways met in an area that was large enough to easily fit in a sixteen-square-mile city when the waters rose. Unlike the rest of the city, the President's Mansion would actually be located on solid ground on one corner of it. In 78 AF, construction commenced on the city which would simply be called "the Capitol".

Construction was both labor and resource intensive. Large numbers of workers came in from various districts to help build the cities. As an incentive, the president would allot a severance package and an amount of land in one of three neighboring districts for the labors and their families to settle in; most of them would end up moving to District Two after their period of work was over. The materials needed for construction itself, as well as the need to feed the workers, meant that a disproportionate amount of resources was being drawn from the districts. However, to stave off discontent, the president made sure that they were compensated monetarily for the amount given.

**Other Projects**

The Capitol was not the only project Artemisia designed. To help bolster national security, she had the facility in District Two renovated to house a bunker along with the mines. In the process, District Two's militia would come to evolve into force tertiary only to District Thirteen and the Praetorian Guard. After the First Rebellion, the facility would be expanded a great deal further, earning the nickname of "the Nut" due to near-impenetrable nature.

Artemisia also believed that there should be a dedicated and secure area for advanced research, especially projects which were clandestine and/or pertained to the security of the nation. At the same time, she didn't think it wise to have one so near the capital city in case of an incident and wanted to experiment designing a new city. Thus, a fortified multidisciplinary community was attempted on top of District Three's facility for that purpose. It would later take on the erroneous title of the "Capitol Labs", despite being nowhere near the Capitol. It also served the additional function of being a military base for the geographic center of Panem and as a countermeasure against raiders.

For the sake of having a secondary secure location in the case of another catastrophe, the facility in her home district of Thirteen was overhauled and expanded. This would allow not only a location for VIPs to go in the event of an emergency; it would also allow at least several hundred thousand people to inhabit it for an extended duration. The military infrastructure of the district itself was overhauled and bulked-up significantly to serve the purpose of a defensive installation at the eastern frontier.

Besides those major projects, the president would still contribute towards many infrastructural projects such as transportation, communications, and treatment systems.

**Death and Passing the Mantle**

Artemisia was never able to see her city come to full fruition. Attendants found her collapsed on the mansion's back patio in July 3, 92. Her death has been subject to severe controversy. Even though she was 61, an age which was still considered to be advanced on average at the time, her health was still considered to be in excellent condition.

Her teenage son, Gallienus, would take her place, and a period of horror would descend upon the nation.


	9. The Lunatic

**Gallienus Snow**

If the majority of blame for the prior conditions of Panem could be attributed to the actions of a single person, Gallienus would likely be the most obvious contender.

**Reign:**  July 3, 92 AF – March 20, 109 AF

**Birth/Death:** October 2, 75 AF – March 20, 109 AF

**Personality**

For lack of a better word, Gallienus was a real piece of work. He was as arrogant and unpredictable as he was inexperienced and selfish. Any action he did was likely to be in his own self interest, mood swings were very common, and he usually took criticism poorly. It was uncommon for him to settle on a single task, many times resulting in him leaving a multitude of unfinished projects in his wake. Occasionally his ideas would veer into the ridiculous, which would be accompanied by denial when people would inform him of the implausibility of the task, followed by severe tantrums when the idea unsurprisingly did not work.

He also did not share the paranoia that his other family members exhibited. In fact, he had a strong overriding belief that everybody in the nation loved him. Those who didn't were considered to be sinners in need of cleansing. Despite his married status, it was common for him to openly go to the districts to take various women to bed, something which he considered an honor to be bestowed upon them. The estimates of his illegitimate children stemming form these encounters range from around 50 upwards into the triple digits.

There is a possibility that he may have been legitimately insane, with narcissistic personality disorder being the culprit.

One of the only possible redeeming qualities of him was that he cared for the children of the nation. It was common for him to visit schools and orphanages, often sponsoring them in the process. He would later make pedophilia to be a capital offense. Also, despite his constant infidelity, he made sure to send support towards all his numerous illegitimate children. Of course, that did not take into account the multitudes of children that died of starvation under his watch.

He was also a strong believer in patronage of the arts as a way to uplift the nation. It was under his watch that District One gained as much influence as it did.

**Early Life**

Gallienus was groomed from a young age to run the country. To the consternation of his mother, he was highly sociable and wandered around Palatine on his own.

Unlike so many of his other predecessors, he looked forward towards the presidency as not just a duty, but the chance to gain control and shape the nation to his will.

With his mother's sudden death, he got that opportunity.

**Claims of Divinity**

Gallienus not only considered himself to be a legitimate successor to rule over Panem, he believed it to be his divine right to rule as the messenger for the nation. This would later morph into the belief that he was the physical embodiment of Panem itself. To put it simply, he believed himself to be a god. A few years into his reign and under his supervision, the Cult of Panem was established; it later became Panem's state religion in 98 AF.

By 105 AF, he outlawed all other religions in the nation, believing them to be a competing factor that led the populace away from their civic duty. This resulted in the Gallienic Persecution, where houses of worship throughout the nation were razed or converted into temples to Panem, which had statues of Gallienus in them. Members of various clergy were also imprisoned and executed, and adherence to any religion, other than that of Panem, became a crime of heresy, which was a capital offense. Holidays that bore any connection to religion had their names changed to reflect a Roman or national persuasion; the best known was the conversion of the holiday Christmas to that of Saturnalia/Solstice.

That is not to say that people still did not practice other religions. However it either became a personal practice or social practices were driven underground.

The Persecution was also widely denounced by the global community. However, since by now Panem became an economic keystone, they were unwilling to lose a key trading partner. Also the loudest voices of condemnation came from the three nations that Gallienus' predecessor had already cut ties with.

**Finishing the Capitol**

Gallienus set on fishing the job that his mother started in respect to the Capitol. However, he made several adjustments.

Artemisia wished for the Capitol to be a pragmatic and easily defensible city. Because of this, it was going to be simplistic brutalist architecture. Gallienus thought that was not appropriate for the "successor" to the Roman Empire. He set out to not only realize the dream of Romulus, but surpass it. Therefore, he commissioned a multitude of architects and artisans to overhaul the plans for the city.

The clearest example of this is the President's Mansion. In line with his vision, Gallienus decided to look to an existing complex for inspiration: St. Peter's Basilica in the Papal States. Except that he designed the Mansion to be bigger and more elaborate than its template, as "not even the god and saints of the Papists can compare to the grandeur of Panem". Though like the Italian Renaissance and Baroque style of the basilica, the architecture the mansion and surrounding complex made maximum use of ornamentation to showcase the wealth. Besides the Mansion itself, the City Circle and mile-long stretch of Capitol Boulevard were modeled after St. Peter's Square and Villa della Conciliazione, respectively.

At the opposite end of Capitol Boulevard from the Circle, Gallienus had a statue of himself commissioned as a way to serve as a centerpiece for the Capitol. It also served as a way to ensure the apotheosis of the president into a living god. The 100-meter-high bronze statue was based on the Colossus of Rhodes, and it was gilded in gold and platinum imported from the Zulu Empire.

Work was finished on the Capitol in 100 AF, in time for Founding Day.

Like Artemisia, Gallienus continued the program of reimbursing and settling the construction workers and artisans who helped build the city. However, he discontinued the reimbursement towards the districts for providing such a disproportionate amount of resources.

**A Portrait of Excess**

To put things succinctly, Gallienus set the standard for excess that defined Capitol culture to this day. Besides the major festivals held during Founding Day, the solstices, and autumnal equinox, the city-wide "bacchanalia", a mixture of festivities and orgies, scattered throughout the year became world-renowned. A large portion district production went simply to supporting these events, either directly by providing food or indirectly by providing resources to trade for exotic food, with little-to-no compensation to the districts.

It was actually more common of him to throw parties than it was for him to rule. In fact, the Cult of Panem soon espoused a hedonistic philosophy that unrestrained pleasure being one of two primary way of honoring Panem, as it showed that the people were happy to live there. The other was fruitful labor in the service of the nation, as it kept Panem fed and strong.

One of the most well-known examples of Gallienus' excess was his desire for Tyrian purple, as it hearkened back to the time of Rome and Byzantium. While the color was able to be synthesized, he wished for the dye to be natural to fully cement the Roman theme. He also wished enough of an amount so that not only all of his articles of clothing could be dyed the color but also every single banner in the Capitol. Thus, vast quantities of murex dye were imported from Neo-Phoenicia, which required a significant amount of both monetary compensation and resources from the districts to trade for it.

Another element of Roman times that Gallienus was eager to bring back was gladiatorial combat, which was hosted in the Capitol and broadcasted throughout the nation. When he first started it, the participants were simply murderers, rapists, and pedophiles. However, as his reign progressed, political and religious heretics were also included. Gallienus would actually keep in top physical condition so that he himself could personally participate in many of the events, though he would have the Praetorian Guard as backup in case things went out of his favor. Incidentally however, he rarely even had to use that backup.

**Death**

In March 20, 109 AF, during Founding Day, Gallienus was participating in another gladiatorial event. During this time, he found himself being outmatched by a retiarius and heretic who went by the name of Isaac Roth. Despite calling for the backup, the Guard refused to intervene. He was soon caught and speared multiple times (first in the abdomen, then in the neck) by Roth, who then was finally gunned-down by the Guard.

At that moment the Capitol erupted into chaos, though order was restored by the evening. Gallienus' young son, Gordianus, took his place the next day.

The most commonly accepted theory was that his wife, Sullustia, was responsible for the assassination, as she never cared for him. Further backing that conjecture was that the Praetorians were more loyal in practice to her than they were to him. Also, the week before, Gallienus expressed a desire to personally raze the Archive to the ground and burn all past knowledge as a "way to start anew"; this would have likely been the final straw for Sullustia.

…

**Sullustia Snow**

**Former Name: Sullustia Chase**

**Birth/Death:** May 11, 74 AF – December, 15, 110 AF

One could not discuss the reign of Gallienus without bringing up his wife, Sullustia. It is likely because of Sullustia that Panem exists as a nation to this day instead of falling into chaos due to its president's incompetence.

Sullustia was an heir to Chase Trading Co, which was a shipping conglomerate in District Four. Due to the family's power and past connections to the Williams, now Snows, she was wedded to Gallienus in 95 AF.

As mentioned previously, she hated Gallienus: not only for his infidelity, but also for his hubris, excesses, and incompetence that threatened to bring Panem to ruin. However, that was a bitter pill that she swallowed as it meant that she had close access to be able to run the government. So she made connections will all the advisers, sometimes appointing new ones if need be, and was the one who made most of the deals with other nations. Most of it simply for the sake of damage control in the wake of her husband's actions.

One would think that Gallienus was suspicious that Sullustia was undermining his rule, in reality, he did not mind. In fact, so long as she did not directly go against him, he was happy to have her run administrative duties as it gave him more room to pursue his pet projects and leisure.

What he did not expect was for her to have so much control over the Praetorians. Due to the vast spending of the president, Sullustia had to use the Praetorians repeated to help quell discontent in the districts. In that process, she gained the respect of the Guard. That came in handy when her husband met his inconvenient end.

With her husband gone, and her presidential son easily controllable due to being just eleven years old, she was now able to have a more hands-on approach to fixing the mess Gallienus made.


	10. The Child

**Gordianus Snow**

Gordianus Snow was known to be the youngest president to preside over Panem. He was also to the last to rule over the family dynasty.

**Reign:**  March 21, 109 AF – December 15, 110 AF

**Birth/Death:** March 7, 98 AF – December 15, 110 AF

**Personality**

Not much was known about Gordianus due to his young age. At the very least, it is unknown as to how much his public persona was his own, and how much was crafted by his mother Sullustia. All that was know that he was a quiet and modest, albeit good-natured, individual who liked to mingle amongst the populace.

At the very least, he did not share his father's vain and mercurial disposition.

**Reign**

After his father's death, Gordianus, being the oldest person in line (and with the assistance of his mother's machinations), came to power. In the end though, he was simply a figurehead and puppet ruler, with Sullustia truly being responsible for policy.

Right after he became president, work immediately commenced to roll back the damage done by his predecessor's insanity, excess, and ineptitude. The laws requiring people to worship the Cult of Panem were abolished, though the cult did still remain. People were also allowed to worship other forms of religion, though they were required to be from a list of approved forms as a way to prevent "destabilizing faiths" from being allowed to flourish, and overt proselytizing was still prohibited.

Also important was to roll back the economic damage. Reparations began to be paid to the districts as a way of back-paying them for all the resources obtained without compensation. The disproportionate flow of resources being siphoned to the Capitol was also gradually cut off, with no amount of chagrin from Capitol citizens.

The gladiatorial games however still remained, probably as a way to keep the Capitol pacified and the districts distracted. Though the participants went back to just being rapists and murderers.

Foreign relations remained more-or-less the same.

**The Coup**

Unfortunately, despite their attempts, the work done by the mother-son team came too little too late. Anger still seethed from Gallienus' messes, and it seemed to the districts that the Capitol was dragging its feet to fix the issue created. So a plan was enacted to wrest control of the Capitol for the districts.

On December 20, 110 AF, and during Solstice celebrations, the decision was finally made to act upon those plans. Cells located throughout the Capitol went live, while militants disembarked freight trains, to secure the city.

At the same time members of the conspiracy stormed the Presidential Mansion. They were aided by members of the Praetorian Guard that were sympathetic to their cause, especially since at this time, the Guard still recruited from the districts. The president and his family were caught unaware in the main office.

Gordianus was stabbed thirteen times, with each stab representing a vengeful district, before being cast off the front balcony of the Mansion; he was observed to still be conscious as he fell. His body was cordoned-off and remained there for a week.

Sullustia was allegedly assaulted repeatedly by the rebels before being strangled to death; though not before she was made to witness the deaths of her three children. Besides Gordianus, 5-year-old Antonius had his throat slit, and 1-year-old Calpurnia had her head stomped-on. With this, the legitimate family line was extinguished.

Sullustia's body joined Gordianus' in the Square so that people were able to pass by them and pay various forms of disrespect. After that week, they were decapitated so that their heads could be prepared and remain on display, with a sign reading "VICTORY OVER TYRANNY" over the display. Their bodies, along with those of Gordianus' siblings, were then unceremoniously dumped into the lake.

Thus had the Dynastic Era come to a close, and, with onset of the period of time known as the Snowless Winter, the Dark Days began.


	11. The Snowless Winter

**The Snowless Winter**

The opening period for the Dark Days was notable in that it did not have a President Snow as head of state. It was for this obvious reason, as well as the time of the year, that this was known as the Snowless Winter.

**Time Period:**  December 15, 110 AF – April 2, 111 AF

**Background**

As seen previously, Gallienus' rule put considerable strain on the districts. Starvation, sickness, and poor infrastructural management became commonplace. Thus, simmering resentment began to build up, and that resentment soon developed into full-fledged anger. Thus were planted seeds of rebellion.

At the head of the rebellion was a populist organization called the Districts' Sword. Leading the DS was a preacher from District Twelve known as Brother Matthew. He rallied the people from the districts together in what he called a "Divine Order" to retake and cleanse the nation.

Gradually, they not only organized demonstrations throughout the various cities and towns across the land, but also stocked supplies and weaponry from sympathetic sources while training their able-bodied members.

After considerable planning, they finally took control of the Capitol.

**Takeover**

Besides the killing of the Snow family, one of the first actions done by the DS was the destruction of Gallienus' statue in the center of the Capitol. One of the key features of the statue was a flame held aloft in its right hand. The flame was kept alive by natural gas-supplying pipes that went up along the entire length of the structure. So the Brother Matthew had the torch itself sealed off, and the pipes broken midway, so that gas could build up inside the hollow statue. So when the gas was ignited, the ensuing explosion obliterated the idol. Some of the parts actually managed to stay intact. The podium, as well as the left arm, which landed in the park, remained as they were as a "Testament to Hubris". The head itself fell into Center Lake, where it still remains.

The result of the rebellion was a drastically decentralized nation. The government that they installed, known as the Free Democratic Republic of Panem, was purely district-run where the senate had full control over the nation; of course, the rebels purged all of the previous senators and installed representatives of their own. There was also no clear head of state, though Brother Matthew presided over the sessions and became the spokesman for the government.

Districts also regained the ability to set their own terms for inter-district trade since the Department of Allocation was dissolved.

Due to international trade being tied to the previous government, the new government considered foreign relations a sign of elitism and thus pursued a policy of isolationism. Though voices from Districts Four and Eleven prevailed, and ties were not completely cut.

The gladiatorial games were kept running due to the populace being used to them. However, this time, they also added high-ranking Capitol citizens as a form of retribution. This was in conjunction with mass public executions of those who were considered elite, which ranged from the heads of various corporations, to many intellectuals.

**The Purge of the Bastards**

Even with the death of Gordianus, as well as his mother and siblings, there were fears from the FDRP that there would be an attempt from other family members to reinstate the dynasty. Therefore all close relatives of the recent Snows were found and executed through crucifixion in the City Circle. In an display of cruel irony, the nails used for the crucifixions were forged from the metal obtained from scrapping most of Gallienus' statues.

Furthermore, there was a concentrated effort to track down all the illegitimate children of Gallienus in case they had any ideas of taking control as well; it also served as an additional revenge, for Gallienus' tyranny, by proxy. Those found met the same fate at their relatives, and their bodies were posted all around the circle. This became known as the "Purge of the Bastards". All in all, 158 youths were crucified and their bodies left on display for the whole period of time; the oldest was twenty-one and the youngest was two.

Incidentally, Sullustia's contempt for Gallienus' infidelity may have saved several of the bastards. After Gallienus' death, she cut all support to his mistresses and their children. When it came time for the purge, the government had a harder time tracking them down than they would have with the support in place due to the easy paper trail.

Also of note was the half-hearted manner in which District Thirteen supported the purge. This was due to the general positive support they got from the Williams, and later the Snows. So when their population suddenly gained around twenty youths with single mothers, they explained the growth away as occurring due to incentives given as an "educational program for the disadvantaged". Due to them being one of the more powerful districts, their claim was not challenged.

One of those youths who settled into District Thirteen was a fourteen-year-old who went by the name of Jason Coin.

**Breakdown**

The decentralization of Panem probably was the main contributor in the FDRP's short lifespan.

After just a couple months after the installment of the government, the coalition of districts began to break down. Mostly it was due to resource disputes, especially without the presence of a mediator. Also, several of the districts, namely Districts One, Two, Four, and Thirteen, did not really support the takeover or the FDRP on principle, which led other districts labeling them as being unfaithful to Panem's prosperity. More seriously, there were accusations between various districts of their respective militias patrolling the boundaries in an aggressive manner.

Soon, it was not uncommon for legislative sessions to break down into all-out physical brawls. By the next year, Panem had practically devolved into an anarchic state, with the Senate being completely useless, Capitol citizens living in fear of being taken for execution, district residents still starving, the districts propping up their own governments and all but seceding, and a civil war on the horizon.

The government's severely weakened state meant that an anti-FDRP force, lead mostly by Praetorian Guard who went into hiding, and backed by various entities mostly from the "Unfaithful Districts", was able to easily take control of the Capitol in April 2, 111 AF.

The FDRP was completely dissolved, with key members either sent to the gladiatorial games or crucified. Brother Matthew was not captured but instead decided to self-immolate when cornered by strike team.


	12. The Praetorians

**The Praetorian Snows**

During the bulk of the Dark Days, Capitol power was at an all-time low due to the fracturing of the nation. The Capitol itself would have likely withered away if it were not for districts One, Two, and Four; District One supported limited agriculture, District Two bolstered defense, and District Four allowed maintenance of a trade path to other nations; however, with the secession of District Eleven, the only way to trade with European, African, and Middle Eastern powers was to pay for additional shipping charges through the Indian Ocean or the Confederacy's Panama Canal.

After the retaking the Capitol, the Praetorian Guard, which had purged the majority of its ranks of district members, had the majority of power. This included deciding who was the next Snow. The majority of these presidents were… lackluster at best.

 **Time Period:**  April 3, 111 AF – January 8, 122 AF

**…**

**Calpurnia Snow**

**Former Name:**  Calpurnia Nguyen

 **Reign:**  April 3, 111 AF – June 26, 114 AF

 **Birth/Death:** August 3, 83 AF – June 26, 114 AF

**Reign**

Calpurnia Nguyen was the head of the strike force which retook the Capitol from the FDRP. Due to her efforts, she was appointed to the presidency.

Immediately she attempted to mend relations with the districts in the hope that the nation would come together. This was done in the form of reparations for past misdeeds from the Capitol as well as assistance in the rebuilding effort.

Unfortunately, while progress was made, these attempts were short-lived as she was one of the first victims of the Purple Fever.

**The Plague**

It is unknown what caused the disease epidemic. What is known is that the first cases were in District Twelve. Within several days, cases sprung up in the Capitol. Within a week, almost all of Panem was infected, from District Eight all the way west to District Four.

The disease was transmitted through the air and appeared to be similar in nature to a form of meningoencephalitis. Physical symptoms included respiratory problems, rigidity, inflammation of the brain, lethargy, paralysis, and rashes that led to gangrene. The discoloration of the skin, caused by the rashes, was how "Purple Fever" got its moniker.

Another unexplained effect was that of the endocrine system. The various organs produced excessive amounts of certain hormones and negligible amount of others. Besides death as the worse case scenario, the combination of effects on both the nervous and endocrine system led to insanity or the permanent shutdown or disfigurement of reproductive organs.

It is estimated that the epidemic killed-off approximately one-third of Panem's population, rendered a sixth insane, and left another sixth completely sterile. In many cases, urban environments reported over a fifty-percent mortality rate, with additional dead from infrastructure collapse. Within a generation, the population of Panem in terms of millions of people would drop down from the double digits into the singles.

The plague also had a significant social and economic impact, and managed to undo all attempts to put Panem back on the upswing. The communicable nature of Purple Fever made districts distrust each other and close themselves off; however, the disease still managed to gain a foothold even with the imposed quarantines. Panic and unrest took hold in many population centers, and industries were shut down due to the lack of a workforce. Other nations also cut off all trade for a couple years. The shutdown of industries caused a positive feedback loop when utilities and services collapsed as well, creating a proper environment for the disease to flourish.

Only one district managed to escape the path of the plague due to enacting quarantine early on: District Thirteen. In a strike of irony, an epidemic with similar symptoms would ravage the district's underground complex. In the process it would render a greater proportion of the population sterile than in Panem.

Though no known sample remains, the nature of the disease leaves little room to believe that it naturally arose. Two culprits have been constantly considered: the Mesoamerican Empire, due to its long-standing enmity, and District Twelve, due to being the location of Patient Zero as well as its industry of chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

**…**

**The Following Snows**

After the plague, the Capitol at this time not only had negligible power, but decided to become more insular and decadent as a way of blocking out the troubles afflicting the majority of the districts, which were in a state of attrition warfare with each other. Though there would be occasional attempts to get the nation back together; those tended to end in catastrophic failure.

After that, the next set of Snows were known for the simple fact that they left no impression at all, except for how they died. Whenever the Praetorians tired of current president, they would have them forcibly removed and install a new one. Many times, the immediate family would be executed as well.

**Nabis Snow**

**Former Name:** Nabis Marsh

 **Reign:**  June 27, 114 AF – February 12, 115 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 22, 93 AF – February 12, 120 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Poisoning during formal dinner.

**Prisca Snow**

**Former Name:** Prisca Chatham

 **Reign:**  February 13, 115 AF – December 22 117 AF

 **Birth/Death:** July 3, 87 AF – December 22 117 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Shot in head by sniper during Saturnalia festivities.

**Crassus Snow**

**Former Name:** Crassus Kumar

 **Reign:**  December 23, 117 AF – July 13, 118 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 11, 91 AF – July 13, 118 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Bomb attached to limousine.

**Mithras Snow**

**Former Name:** Mithras Paul

 **Reign:**  July 14, 118 AF – October 21, 118 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 24, 80 AF – October 21, 118 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Drowned in public bath.

**Nerva Snow**

**Former Name:** Nerva Dayton

 **Reign:**  October 22, 118 AF – May 26, 119 AF

 **Birth/Death:** August 9, 83 AF – May 26, 119 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Stabbed repeatedly during press conference.

**Flavius Snow**

**Former Name:** Flavius Lin

 **Reign:**  May 27, 119 AF – November 12, 119 AF

 **Birth/Death:** October 4, 82 AF – November 12, 119 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Beaten by large group.

**Marcus Snow**

**Former Name:** Marcus Robinson

 **Reign:**  November 13, 119 AF – June 16, 120 AF

 **Birth/Death:** September 17, 90 AF – June 16, 125 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Pulled out of bed and strangled.

**Salonina Snow**

**Former Name:** Salolina Dupree

 **Reign:**  June 17, 120 AF – January 30, 121 AF

 **Birth/Death:** April 28, 89 AF – January 30, 121 AF

 **Cause of Death:**  Forced off balcony during public address.

**Antonius Snow**

**Former Name:** Antonius Abdul

 **Reign:**  January 31, 121 AF – March 6, 122 AF

 **Birth/Death:** September 12, 94 AF – March 6, 122 AF

The death of Antonius Snow was the first one that was not cause by the Praetorians. On March 9, 122, the force fields around the Capitol were down for maintenance. In that afternoon, rockets descended upon the city; the payload was sarin gas. The resulting death toll from both the initial gas attack and the ensuing panic was estimated to be tens of thousands of people, including the president himself.

It is suspected that this was in response to another attempt by the Capitol to unite the districts. One thing was clear: while the sarin was definitely supplied by District Twelve, the rockets were of a make typical of District Thirteen.

With this opening salvo, thus began the war officially known by districts as the First Rebellion.


	13. The Conqueror

**Justinian Snow**

Justinian Snow was not only known for his crushing of the First Rebellion and the ending of the Dark Days. He was responsible for creating an institution that would define Panem: The Hunger Games.

 **Former Name:**  Justinian Cohen

 **Reign:**  June 20, 122 AF–April 11, 133 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 22, 89 AF–April 11, 133 AF

**Personality**

Justinian Snow was also known as "Justinian the Unsmiling", which hinted at his general disposition. Even before his wife and children were killed in a suicide bombing, he was known for extreme stoicism. After the incident, his scarred visage showed no signs of emotion even after victories.

He did not like partaking in publicity shots or speeches, and his manner of speech and writing tended to be terse and laconic. While he never raised his voice and was very hard to offend, whenever someone did offend him, he did not hesitate to personally kill that person on the spot.

Despite his thoroughly unpleasant demeanor, he tended to gain great respect and loyalty from many close to him. Part of it was due to his great strategic skill and pragmatism. Also was his meritocratic outlook on life; no matter someone's socioeconomic background, or even his personal opinion of them, Justinian valued good performance in any field which affected how he appointed or promoted people.

**Early Life**

Very little is known about Justinian Cohen before he joined the District Two militia force when he was seventeen. From there, he rose up the ranks through bitter conflict, as District Two was the proverbial sword and shield for the Capitol. He became even more focused after the attack that killed off his family, except for him and his brother.

After the sarin attack left the Capitol in disarray, Justinian was pressured by both peers and subordinates to become the next Snow. It was from his position of Commander-in-Chief that he would spearhead the campaign to retake the districts for the Capitol and Panem.

**The First Rebellion**

It was a complete surprise to the nation when it turned out that District Thirteen spearheaded the attack on the Capitol. It was always pro-Capitol, especially through the Dynastic Age. Even through the Dark Days, its stance was of neutrality.

Currently, it is suspected that District Thirteen was planning on reinstating the Dynasty. Prior to the Rebellion, Jason Coin had gathered a strong following. By the time the war began, he had purged Capitol sympathizers and became the district's main military commander.

Whatever the reason, the entry of District Thirteen into the war provided an entity for the districts to rally around.

Besides District Thirteen, a major player on the side of the Rebellion was District Twelve. District Twelve had always remained rebellious ever since the actions of Brother Matthew. Despite its relatively small size, its industry allowed it to significantly bolster the rebels' ability to fight asymmetrically through the production of medicine and weaponry. Weapons included sarin, phosgene, mustard gas, napalm, ammonium nitrate, and white phosphorus. District Eleven would also assist District Twelve by growing castor oil plants for the production of ricin. While District Thirteen never forgot the events of the Snowless Winter, it saw District Twelve as a valuable asset.

So when the initial attack was launched, the Capitol was caught off-guard, and the subsequent death of the president proved to be demoralizing for its populace. That allowed rapid gains to be made.

However, this advantage was not to last. Despite the leadership of District Thirteen, the districts were not cohesive in their alliance, which led to costly blunders. Also, it turned out that taking the Capitol was a harder prospect than the rebels, who had minimal air support, prepared for. The natural barrier provided by the Rockies made it treacherous for ground troops to cross and left them vulnerable to air-to-ground fire.

In response to all of this, Justinian enacted a policy of total war. He did not waste a single set of resources in his mobilization of forces. However, he did realize that there were several hard-to-surmount obstacles that would bog the fight down into stalemate: that the districts still had numerical advantage, that District Thirteen had nuclear weapons as a deterrent, and that District Twelve's chemical weapons were enacting a severe toll on loyalist forces.

It was clear that this stalemate could not last indefinitely. So, Justinian went to the now-President Coin to make an arrangement. In exchange for playing dead and withdrawing its anti-aircraft emplacement from District Twelve, District Thirteen would become independent and overlooked when the Capitol enacts revenge against the rebels.

While the prospect of not taking the Capitol was unappetizing for Coin, he agreed that there was little choice. Further escalation of the conflict risked the use of nuclear weaponry, which neither side could afford. Furthermore, Coin saw that District Twelve was beginning to get out of control as an ally. There was no assurance that it would allow Coin to take control of the Capitol, especially since it had weapons of mass destruction of its own as insurance.

So Coin agreed to take District Thirteen underground into its facility. After shipping the majority of the remaining population to District Six, Justinian had the entire region carpet-bombed, though official reports stated that the bombing was nuclear in nature.

With the "destruction" of District Thirteen, and the following firebombing of District Twelve's production centers, the Rebellion fell into disarray. Not only was the image of a district being wiped off the map demoralizing, District Thirteen provided much-needed logistical support and centralized leadership; not to mention the nuclear deterrent. Add to that the removal of a major supplier of weaponry.

Within weeks, district after district capitulated to the Capitol's alliance. In March 20, 126 AF, Justinian officially ended the war and Dark Days by drafting a document which was signed by himself and representatives from the twelve districts. This document was called the Treaty of Treason.

**The Treaty of Treason**

_Fifteen years ago, the various districts rose against the Capitol_

_and enacted upon it, and the nation itself, horrific atrocities._

_From then on, there were dark days for the nation of Panem._

_It was a time when a nation nearly tore itself apart into chaos._

_And it was then that the districts decided to band together in treason_

_and visit upon this nation the specter of war._

_Four years and one destroyed district later,_

_those perfidious districts have been pacified,_

_and those dark days are at an end._

_But that defeat is not nearly enough for them to atone  
_

_and receive their penance for all they have done._

_Therefore there shall be an annual event:_

_A male and female will be selected from each district via a reaping._

_These "tributes" will be within the age range of 12-18._

_They will be sent to the Capitol and transferred to arena._

_There, they will fight to the death till there is one victor._

_This event shall be called the Hunger Games_

_for the period of leanness the districts shall suffer._

_This period shall be for fifteen years._

_Only after then, shall the districts receive their penance for their treason._

_Only after then, shall this nation heal._

**The First Hunger Games**

When some of his advisers objected about the cruelty of the Hunger Games' concept, Justinian was quick to counter with the districts' actions during the Snowless Winter. There was also the fact that the districts did not hesitate to use child soldiers during both the interdistrict wars and the Rebellion.

There was also controversy about the inclusion of Districts One, Two, and Four, as they were Capitol loyalists. His rationale to that was that no favoritism could be shown. Also even those districts partook in the initial uprising. He did however, possibly as a concession to those specific districts, give the option for children to volunteer in place of a reaped tribute. Naturally, the three loyal districts would later embrace that element of the Games.

Another factor to influence the Games was Justinian's thought that, while these tributes were considered penance for the districts' injustice, it was no fault of their own that they had to be sacrificed. Therefore, they were to be treated in the lap of luxury in that period of time between the Reaping and the Games. Afterwards, any victor would be showered with gifts and wealth, and even gained citizenship.

It is noted that the very first tributes just consisted of the children of high ranking rebel officials. Reaping afterwards was done by lottery; volunteering was actually nearly universal in that first decade, with all of the tributes former child-soldiers.

The Games under Justinian were a simple affair; he considered them something that should be finished as quickly as possible. After they were displayed, the tributes would be entered into training for several weeks. When it finally came time for Games to commence, they were taken to the City Circle, which was sealed off just for the purpose of functioning as an arena. The event was televised as mandatory viewing by Panem though. Before they entered the arena, each tribute was allowed to select their set of weaponry. Muttations were also added in case the tributes decided not to kill one another, which was the case early on. Justinian did not care if it was the tributes that killed each other off or if it was another factor; as long as the ordeal was over and one victor was left. In the end, each of the Games lasted less than an hour.

Finally, Justinian's plan was to only have fifteen Games: one for each year of the Dark Days. After each year, if the districts were obedient, a greater percentage of resources would be allocated to all of twelve of them; by the fifteenth year, the plan was there to be an equal distribution of resources between the districts and Capitol. After that, the debt would have been settled and districts fully welcomed back into the fold. As can be seen today, things did not turn out as planned.

**The Auspicious Incident**

After the war, Justinian held very little esteem for the Praetorian Guard. During the conflict, the majority stayed within their fortress near the Capitol, only occasionally taking action to defend the city itself. He also did not trust their penchant for leader selection-and-removal in the years past.

So he demanded that the Praetorians disband and be incorporated into the new force he was creating. When they refused and further threatened to come after him, Justinian simply had a bunker-buster dropped on the fortress and then proceeded to firebomb the ruins. He then personally went out there to finish off any possible survivors. This action would be coined the Auspicious Incident, named after the event where the Janissaries in the Ottoman Empire were forcibly disbanded in 1826 CE.

In place of the Praetorians, the District Two army was reorganized into Panem's national military force and rebranded as the Peacekeeper Corps. Most of the other districts' militias were disbanded, and the districts were prohibited from forming new ones; loyal militia units that weren't disbanded were made into Peacekeeper units. Justinian planned on allowing the general populace in the districts to enlist as well, but only after the fifteen years.

**Cracking Down on the Districts**

After the districts' defeat, Justinian had to figure out how to deal with them to keep them in line.

The first action was forced concentration of the populace for the majority of the districts. The only districts this was not enacted upon were the agricultural districts, for pragmatic reasons, as well as the loyal districts. Even in those cases, fortifications were constructed and communities consolidated. All the while, he enacted a policy of austerity to focus on rebuilding; even his own district and the Capitol were subject to it.

In light of events and figures in the Dark Days, organized religion was once again banned. Incidentally, this also included the cult of Panem. Or course, this simply made many organizations go underground.

Probably the most drastic action was what he did with District Twelve. The district's population already had a heavy toll enacted on it by the bombing campaign. However, Justinian felt that there should be no way for it to rise again. So he had the majority of the remaining population scattered. The bulk of adults and teenagers were sent to District Six, Eight, or Eleven to restart their industries. To top things off, ninety-five percent of preteen children were sent to District Two as a way of bolstering the hard-hit populace. By the time he was finished with it, the inhabited area of District Twelve only consisted of a small town, a coal mine, and the connecting community.

Ironically, despite his harsh actions, Justinian was somewhat respected in the districts. He made it a point to constantly visit them regularly to gauge conditions; he would even personally mingle with the populace and patronize their businesses. In fact, it was more common for him to be out in the districts than in the Capitol; both his train and hovercraft contained all the amenities needed for living and work. Also, besides his plans for incremental redistribution of resources, Justinian oversaw the reconstruction of all damaged infrastructure in Panem.

**Death**

Nobody knows for sure who was behind the attack, though there is a strong suspicion. All that is truly known was that, on April 11, 133 AF, Justinian's hovercraft was struck by a surface-to-air missile over District Eleven. His body was later recovered from the Great River.

For several days afterwards, his vacant position would be strongly contested by various powers.


	14. The Entertainer

**Agrippa Snow**

While the Hunger Games were established by Justinian, it would be Agrippa who made it into the spectacle that continued well past her reign. It was also she who would help transform the Capitol into a pillar of decadence surpassing even that of Gallienus' regime

**Former Name:**  Sephrina Dianna

**Reign:**  April 25, 133 AF–September 22, 172 AF

**Birth/Death:**  June 12, 86 AF–December 11, 198 AF

**Personality**

Agrippa had a perpetually cheerful and effervescent disposition. This was matched by her exceedingly outgoing nature. It was said that she could make friends with anyone and everyone. There was not a talk show, interview, speech, or other type of public appearance that she would pass up the opportunity to attend.

However, that all belied a very calculating, strategic, and extremely power-hungry mind. She had a high capability of cognitive empathy, and was usually able to get a read off both individuals and groups. This allowed her to analyze situations and assisted in the manipulation of crowds.

It has also been later revealed in her private correspondences that she had extreme contempt towards the districts, even her home district of One. Even without that revelation, the Capitol's treatment towards them would speak for itself.

**Early Life and Political Rise**

Sephrina Dianna was a youth journalist in District Four. During the First Rebellion, her charismatic skills were recognized by Justinian, so he appointed her as his public relations officer. She later became his press secretary when he rose to the presidency.

Despite Justinian's recognition of her abilities, the two individuals despised each other. He considered Sephrina an entitled and vapid brat whom he could not trust. She thought Justinian an uncharismatic and inflexible soldier who lacked vision. However, they kept their disagreements private so long as there was no active undermining of the presidency.

That is not to say that she did not work to undermine him at all. Justinian was losing popularity in the Capitol not only due to his uncharismatic nature but also due to his perceived favoritism towards the districts and austerity. Sephrina used that to her advantage, creating a loyal power base not only among the majority of Capitol citizens, but also many government higher-ups.

With the assassination, a brief power vacuum formed. It was originally intended that Justinian's second-in-command take his place upon either his death or abdication. However, she was just as unpopular in the Capitol as her superior. It did not take long for Sephrina to utilize her base to gain control through popular approval. Upon claiming the presidency, she took the name Agrippa.

**The Capitol's Rise**

Other than declaring her rivals enemies of the state and having them executed, the very first action undertaken by Agrippa was putting an end the concept of resource redistribution. She did not just put a halt to the process; she immediately reversed it to the point of mandated starvation for the districts. Only the bare minimum was allotted so that there was a populace that was capable of working. Also, extreme quotas were put on the districts which forced them to increase output and obligations on their workers. The only districts that did not have as severe shortages put upon them were the three loyal ones: One, Two, and Four. Also, District One was kept fed to produce quality luxury items, District Two to keep the Peacekeepers loyal, and District Four due to the proximity to to the Capitol and importance of maintaining an operational port; however this did not mean that the districts did not know deprivation either.

The publicly-stated rationale for the reversal of Justinian's policy was that his assassination meant that the districts should be punished, even though no culprit was found. However, it is clear that there was one main motive for the action: putting the Capitol into the lap of luxury. And the Capitol indeed thrived in these conditions of excess. The constant influx of resources with no labor required from the Capitol's citizens allowed decadence to take root into Capitol identity. This would manifest itself in the rapidly changing fashion trends, the architecture, and the constant parties and banquets thrown; Agrippa herself would be at the center of most of the trends.

And while religion was still banned, the Cult of Panem was allowed to have its resurgence in its own manner.

**Reforming the Hunger Games**

Even before her ascent to power, Agrippa saw great potential in the Games. There was not only entertainment value, but also the possibility to use it as a way to keep the districts weak. However at the time, she was shouted down by Justinian, who wanted the Games to just be the districts' penance; nothing more, nothing less. Upon his death, she was able to have free reign to implement her changes.

Probably the first change coincided with the deprivation of the districts. Now, instead of giving the districts greater rights and resources after each Games, only the winning district would receive an allotment of resources. With this, there was now a reason for districts to compete against each other, keeping them divided in the process. To rub things in further, the Victory Tour was formed.

The tessearea system was also implemented. Previously, there was simply a token for each child before the Reaping, with a token added for each year the child was required to participate in a reaping. The new system, on top of this, put in place made it so that children were required to submit additional tokens if they wished to receive additional resources for their household. This helped foster resentment among the various classes in the districts, thus keeping each district divided from within.

While Justinian simply allowed volunteering, Agrippa purposefully looked the other way as Districts One, Two, and Four gradually formed academies to train possible tributes ahead of time. The other districts were given no such luxury.

And then came the Games themselves. While the Capitol citizens saw the Games as entertainment, there was much more potential value to be had than what was operating in Justinian's time. Upon the 15th Annual Games, the themed arena was introduced, though Games were still originally stadium-sized affairs; upon the implementation of force field technology, arenas became larger and more elaborate. Soon various biomes were introduced, despite all of the arenas being constructed in Capitol territory proper. Improvements in surveillance devices also meant that footage during the Games could be obtained from almost any location or angle.

Even before the themed arenas, Agrippa did away with giving the tributes weapons ahead of time; instead, a "cornucopia" was created to force them into a centralized area so that a "bloodbath" would occur. Then with the larger arenas came the concept of sponsorship to help keep tributes supplied. With the sponsorship, came the pageantry. At the 12th Annual Games, the Tribute Parade was established; however the later addition of sponsorship made it an elaborate spectacle. Soon after came the interviews and tribute scoring. The Games were no longer just punishment for the districts, they became a staple of life for the Capitol.

There was one final change to be had. Gradually, but surely, Agrippa amended the Treaty of Treason. By the time the 14th Annual Hunger Games began, there was no mention of a limit to the number of Games that were to be held.

In 150 AF, the first Quarter Quell was introduced. Here, the rule was that the districts would have to vote in their tributes. The Reaping went as expected due to existing demographic trends; the usual tributes tended to be the children of the more affluent, which further strained class relations within the districts.

**The Victor Revolt**

The majority of victors from Justinian's reign were displeased about Agrippa's reign, and it was not only due to the extension of the Hunger Games.

Previously, they were not only granted wealth upon being victors, but were afforded citizenship to the Capitol and had constant correspondence with the president. Justinian even made it so that they learned politics as it was his hope for them to become potential future leaders of the nation.

Upon Agrippa's ascent to power, she put a stop to the rewards the victors were given, other than the wealth. She also stripped the prior victors of their citizenship.

In 140 AF, Justinian's victors staged a demonstration in the City Circle; these demonstrations would later include some victors from the Games up to that point. The victors went so far as to make accusations that Agrippa was behind her predecessor's assassination.

Unsurprisingly, the demonstrations were brutally quashed. In the immediate years after, every participating victor and their family fell victim to various "accidents", but not before the media released scandalous stories about them to the public, effectively destroying their reputation in the Capitol. By 145 AF, almost all of Justinian's victors were dead. Except for one.

The only victor who did not take part in the Revolt was Margarita Ortega, the District Four victor of the 7th Annual Hunger Games, and she was rewarded well for her obedience. However, in her later years, she would play her part in shaping the course of the Second Rebellion.

**Later Life and Death**

After a long and fruitful career as president, Agrippa decided to retire peacefully from politics. She spend the rest of her years as a trend-setting socialite that the Capitol elite looked up to.

It was also common for her to take into bed physically-attractive victors. In fact, much of the information the public initially gained about Agrippa's personal life came from the confessions of Finnick Odair; she was his first, and most constant, client in the last few years of her life.

On December 11, 198 AF, she died in bed at the age of 112, making her the longest-lived former president.


	15. The Chessmaster

**Coriolanus Snow**

Coriolanus Snow, the last of the Snows to rule over Panem.

 **Former Name:**  Coriolanus Smith

 **Reign:**  September 23, 172 AF–November 25, 200 AF

 **Birth/Death:** May 7, 120 AF–January 1, 201 AF

**Personality**

Like Agrippa, Coriolanus was very adept at reading individuals and groups. He also had no qualms about manipulating and sacrificing others to achieve his goals. Ironically, when he wished to be with specific individuals, friend or adversary, he was known to be extremely honest and prone to upholding promises.

However, unlike his predecessor, Coriolanus was not known to display the same level of excess that the Capitol citizens upheld. He had few, if any, alterations done to his body and dressed in a relatively conservative manner. Even when hosting his own parties, he would not participate in the gorging and purging behavior. The only excess that he allowed himself was an obsession with horticulture.

**Early Life**

Almost nothing is known about Coriolanus until his enrollment into the University of Panem. Even his birth and school records show the barest of information.

However, once at the university, it was known that he was a high achieving and extremely involved student. It's clear that he was very ambitious from even a young age, making connections with various individuals at different social levels. After graduating with honors, and later passing the bar exam, he worked as a representative for the Capitol.

Coriolanus' subsequent rise in the political arena was a meticulous and measured process. Connections, deals, and favors were utilized and traded to get him ever closer to the president's office. By the time he was thirty years old, he was already a close associate of Agrippa.

When Agrippa announced that she would be stepping down in five years and was looking to appoint a successor, Coriolanus sprung into action. He proceeded to get rid of rivals and even many allies alike to remove loose ends. Poison was his instrument of choice, which culminated in the removal of his main rival via both of them drinking from the same poisoned wine; however, he took the antidote too late and, from then, was afflicted with constant bleeding from the mouth. In the end though, it was considered an acceptable sacrifice to obtain the presidency.

In September 23, 172 AF, his efforts paid off when he became the next president of Panem.

**Increased Powers**

With the foundation set by Justinian and codified by Agrippa, Coriolanus did not really have to establish much in the realm of anything new. However, he would proceed to increase the scope of his oversight over Panem. This was seen in the increased surveillance throughout the nation and the establishment of a secret police branch of the Peacekeepers. Also, Capitol media became a stronger mouthpiece for the regime. Under his reign, disappearances of individuals who showed the slightest bit of dissent went to an all time high.

Two new punishments were established in his administration: Avoxing and hijacking.

Avoxes were suspected subversives of the state who were subsequently tortured and had their tongues removed; hence the term, which translates to "lack of voice". Occasionally, castration or genital mutilation was involved but it wasn't necessary. Their role afterwards were that of slaves in the Capitol.

Hijacking was the utilization of chemical treatment, mostly consisting of the same compound that constitutes tracker jacker venom, in conjunction with psychological treatment in order to brainwash a person. Hijacked individuals were mostly utilized as sleeper agents to eliminate targets that were close to them and served as an effective demoralizing element. As to this point, very little research has been done in the reversal of the treatment, though some headway has been made in recent years.

Little overhaul was done with how the Games were run. However, muttations and other forms of high technology began taking precedence. This was evident in the elaborate set-up created during the Second Quarter Quell, where 48, instead of the usual 24, tributes were selected. In time for that event, a new headquarters for the Games was constructed in the place of Gallienus' old statue. The tower, which contained facilities ranging from the training center to the Capitol Labs, was integral to the complete operation of the Games and even oversaw certain utilities of the Capitol itself. Considering the manner in which the Games became a symbol of the nation, the tower was made to be the tallest structure in the Capitol and all of Panem, which is a status that it retains to this day.

Also a closer eye was kept on the victors. By Coriolanus' time, killing off a victor was out of the question due to their high profile, and even trying to stage an event to seem like an accident was too risky. However the victors' families and associates were considered to be valid targets in the event of them stepping out of line. As it was common for physically attractive victors to be forced into prostitution, there were predictable results if they were to refuse.

**The Mockingjay Rebellion**

Despite the best efforts of the Capitol, resentment simmered from the districts. This reached the boiling point after the 74th Annual Hunger Games.

From the beginning, with Katniss Everdeen volunteering for her sister in District Twelve, by now a poor outlying district, the disenfranchised and disaffected took note. Then the outfits worn by the District Twelve tributes and Peeta Mellark's declaration of love for his partner ingratiated them with the Capitol populace. The first few days in the arena became just like any other; however this was overturned by Everdeen's care of her deceased ally from District Eleven and the change in the rules to allow two victors from the same district. The tipping point however, would probably have been Mellark's refusal to kill Everdeen when the rule change was revoked at the last minute, then Everdeen's subsequent defiance when she had both of them threaten to commit suicide with nightlock. As a result, two victors were crowned.

Capitol citizens saw this as nothing more than a wonderful romance story. For the districts, barring those closest to the Capitol, and the government however, the whole thing was recognized as a complete act of rebellion. This was mostly evident in many of the agricultural and industrial districts, where living conditions tended to be much poorer. This were pushed further during the Victory Tour, with Everdeen giving her thanks to the district tributes and, worse, Mellark giving a portion of their earnings to the tributes' families; this flew in the face of Victory Tour's purpose.

Despite all attempts at damage control, many districts began to go into full revolt. Coriolanus, as a result, decided to make the Quarter Quell consist of victors as he considered them the keystone to any sort of rebellion. To say that the decision was counterproductive was a severe understatement. Even many Capitol citizens were outraged. The interviews just made things worse, with Mellark claiming the Everdeen was pregnant and the victors joining hands in a symbol of solidarity. In the end, the arena was broken into, with several of the victors rescued, including Everdeen. With that, the Second Rebellion, known as the Mockingjay Rebellion for the pin Everdeen wore in her first Games, was in full swing.

As a result of the breakout, District Twelve was completely razed, with only ten percent of the population surviving the firebombing campaign. However, this did not dampen the Rebellion, which was assisted by a resurgent District Thirteen. Despite the Capitol's advantage in technology and an established force, this time the districts' numbers were bolstered through working in a unified manner. Morale was further boosted by a propaganda piece released by the Mockingjay, as Everdeen was referred to as; morale was kept up despite the capture of Mellark and forcible utilization of him as a mouthpiece for the Capitol, culminating in him undergoing the process of hijacking.

The only district which had not rebelled was District Two, which was the district which held the military force for the Capitol. That, however, was soon nullified with the neutralization of the district's main mountainous facility. With the neutralization of district Two, incursions were able to be made into the Capitol.

As the rebels got closer to his mansion, Coriolanus decided to utilize Capitol youths as a human shield; he barricaded them in front of the mansion. That proved to be his undoing.

On November 25, 200 AF, a hovercraft with a Capitol seal dropped supply-carrying parachutes over the youths. The children, recognizing them from the Hunger Games, gladly reached for them only to find out that they contained explosives. After the initial detonation, many were maimed and killed by the blasts, and rebel medics rushed in with Peacekeepers to help the survivors. A larger secondary detonation eliminated the remainder, plus those assisting in the rescuing operation. Both the Mockingjay and Mellark were severely burned in the ensuing fireball.

The reaction was immediate, with any remaining support within the Capitol evaporating. Within an hour, Snow was apprehended and his reign came to an end.

**Death**

The rebels put him through a show trial even though it was clear what his fate would be. On January 1, just over a month after he was apprehended, a public execution was set up by Alma Coin to have the Mockingjay deliver the killing blow. For whatever reason, she ended up killing Coin instead of him.

Coriolanus' final moments were observed to be him laughing before devolving into a coughing fit. It is unknown if respiratory failure or being trampled from the agitated crowd that was the final cause of death.

**…**

**Alma Coin**

**District Thirteen Reign:**  June 18, 165 AF–January 1, 201 AF

 **Capitol Reign:**  January 1, 201 AF

 **Birth/Death:** August 9, 132 AF–January 1, 201 AF

Even less information is known about Alma Coin, much of due to active repression of information. All that is known is that she was the daughter of District Thirteen president Jason Coin, and that she spent a lot of time under his tutelage. After his death in June 18, 165 AF, she took control as president.

In contrast to the consumption-based Capitol, District Thirteen worked on the principle of well-regulated austerity. In fact, much of the government operated under the pre-Cataclysm principle of Marxism. The main similarity between the two governments however was the amount of control exerted over the majority of the populace, as well as the low tolerance for dissent.

In District Thirteen's case, there was little practicality in execution due to the effects of the plague. So subversives were treated as being unwell to take care of themselves and were taken in for treatment. There, they were locked away and utilized as breeding stock. The concept of breeding stock was utilized benignly when refugees from District Twelve flooded in.

It was clear that Coin did not abandon her father's desire to reestablish the family dynasty in Panem. She kept a close watch on the events occurring around the nation while consolidating her forces and making connections with various underground movements. After the 74th Games, preparations were went into gearing up for war, which occurred the next year. During the Rebellion, District Thirteen would once again be the logistical hub for the districts. This time though, they would succeed in retaking the Capitol.

It is unknown as to whether Coin wished to continue on as a Snow. Various rumors abound about her actions during the Rebellion and future plans for the nation. At the forefront of the rumors were that she was the one behind the bombing of the Capitol children. There were also plans to have a final iteration of the Hunger Games involving those from the Capitol. It is suspected that her regime would have ended up just as, if not more, totalitarian as her predecessors.

Whatever her plans were, they were rendered moot as the Mockingjay's arrow hit her, and she fell from the mansion's balcony to the pavement, during her own inauguration day.

With the subsequent election of Brinna Paylor as president, the drafting of a new constitution, and creation of term limits, the nail in the coffin of the Snow legacy was ensured.


	16. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

It bears mentioning that nothing that has occurred in Panem's history is anything new. In fact, the past has shown us events that are far worse in both scale and proportionality. Of course, war, or at least armed conflict, has been a constant since humans learned to work tools. Mass killing and genocide were the instruments of many despotic regimes, as was forced labor and sanctioned starvation; even the republic that preceded this region played host to both wage and chattel slavery in its early years. Not even the Hunger Games are a novel concept; bloodsport events, be they for entertainment or ritual/civic purpose, were utilized by various cultures, including the one which this nation was based off of, reaching back thousands of years. The only thing that has possibly changed is the technology involved.

So the question arises: is the time of tyrants over? Is there peace and prosperity in the horizon? Are the events such as the Dark Days and Hunger Games things that are to remain firmly in the past? Or are we doomed to repeat the cycle and fall victim to another dystopian vision before this century is over?

As of this publication, the Paylor Administration is still very new. Significant animosity lingers towards the Capitol from the districts, as well as towards the so-called Career districts, especially District Two, from other districts. The issue of having districts work together, be it determining boundaries or resource allocation, is going to be a sore point for this reconstruction period. There have even been calls to reinstate various versions of the Hunger Games as a way to punish various regions.

To that end, there is equal potential for a new despotic authoritarian entity to rule from the Capitol or for a tyranny-of-the-majority mob rule to take hold from the districts. Plus, various external entities are observing the various conflicts and a fledgling administration to determine if this is a moment of weakness for Panem.

At the same time though, there is just as much possibility that the new representative democratic republic concept will stick and lead Panem to a prosperous future. Only time can tell.

The only thing that known for sure is this: the more one is knowledgeable about the past, the more chances to learn from it to avoid making similar mistakes in the future.

* * *

 

SS

207, Panem Archival Society

 


End file.
